They say:
“if you look at a mountain and think I will never climb that! Now you have a reason to climb that mountain.”
But I was corrected
“If you look at that mountain and climb it to see what is on the other side then your quest is eternal.”
I am in Namche now in an outrageously expensive Everest Cyber Café having caught a glimpse of the awesome mountain range of the Himalayas . Traveling from the lowest point to the highest peak on earth both physically and mentally. We have spent the last 8 days scaling mountains and learning about the magical Nepalise culture. We have visited educational facilities and health post gauging with locals who have never seen Westerners before. An adventure which has already been hugely eye watering. Often I feel as though I am on the set of a cross between Avatar and Braveheart. The children look inquisitively at us with mixed emotions, I have stopped taking offence to the ones who run away screaming with their hands in the air!
We have traveled from Phaplu to Lukla by foot as there are no roads or cars and the mountains are so steep that I am unsure there will be for a long time. I have often imagined zip wires which could cross valley to valley but for now we have huge suspension bridges crossing the gushing river coming directly from Everest aids our travels.
The accents and descents have been a fantastic training ground for the ultimate challenge which lies ahead of us. The Solo Sisters! Also the conditions which we have lived in over the last week living with local families often without electricity or any form of communication has really taught us to appreciate everything we have. I wept when I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet has become my mantra and while it has been an absolute privilege and honour to be welcomed into their homes I have had many moments of desperate disbelief and disgust at some of the things I have disregarded in my past. From running water, To an Education, To shoes for my feet!
So now the tea houses we are staying in feel like 5 star hotels! We have slept in barns with chickens and cockerels at the end of our bed! This is one of many examples of how primitive some of the villages we have visited really are.
But they are proud and honest people with an integrity I have not found anywhere else I have traveled in the world. There are already so many stories to tell about the people we are meeting and the sites we have seen. It is interesting too along the trail we have met a few other westerners. Each with their own interesting stories, there is a great truth in like minds attract. While we are all from different walks of life and culture. Those who are attracted by such a challenge as the one we have embarked on have a similar attitude to life and it has been refreshing to learn about other people travels and back grounds and dreams.
I wrote a small poem on my accent up towards Everest which I would like to share:
Prayer flags fly in the mountains breeze,
My mind feels rested and body at ease,
The waterfall cascades the mountains edge,
My body feels ready for the challenge ahead,
The Tea House’ energy is soft and light,
My soul feels rested I will sleep well tonight.
Our clothes dry in the blistering sun,
My skin is glowing our quest has begun,
The trail set before us at times in steep,
My knees are strong and no longer feels weak,
From the lowest point to the highest peak.
My faith will be tested in the coming weeks,
So as my monjos cook on an open fire,
My spirit is awakened to fulfill my ultimate desire.
I will be off-line again for the next 12 days. I would write more and have already completed a journal full of day to day encounters. But I have monasteries to visit and a mountain to climb so for no Namaste!
